100 Years
by Gannent
Summary: How do people change over a lifetime? A series of drabbles focusing on the lifetimes of Zuko and Toph. Rating may change for different entries. Toko, otherwise canon pairings
1. Goodbye Year 3836

100 Years

**A/N:** This story will (hopefully) be100 drabbles, 1 per year over the lifespan of Zuko and Toph. Will not be posted in chronological order- on purpose. I'm making up the years, only to set a timeline for you readers so you can tell about what age, etc. the characters are. Will I actually get to 100? Who knows, but I'm gonna try. This is partially inspired by (500) Days of Summer, which is a really cute movie. I liked the idea of showing a relationship out of chronological order like they did, but I'm going with years instead of days. Italics means flashback.

Goodbye- Year 3836 Toph- 94 Zuko- 98 Rated T for character death

During the summer solstice, when spring (her season) slipped into summer (his season), she slipped away.

Of course, Zuko knew that it would have to happen sooner or later. They were both old, so old he didn't even bother keeping track anymore. They had grown content and complacent like they never thought they'd be in the headstrong years of their youth, when nothing could slow them down.

Not to say that he had lost the fire in his spirit, or she had lost that wicked grin that made him alternatively shake his head and smile or shiver.

He and the friends who were left decided on a private ceremony and a public memorial service. The memorial was attended by hundreds of people representing all the nations. Toph had touched each of them in her own special way- helping to rebuild the temples for the few Air Nomad descendents (despite her hatred of flying); restoring the pride of the Earth Kingdom while building trust in a former enemy; helping the Water Tribe root out any lasting sexism and finally humbling a Fire Nation distorted by years of propaganda. She showed how the other elements could be just as powerful and awe-inspiring as fire.

Despite her sickness, the age, and the support of friends, Zuko could not help but feel like he was missing a huge piece of himself. It reminded him of his hunt of the Avatar. He had thought that he could fill the hollow part of him by capturing Aang and restoring his honor. Frankly, that failed, and he had found another way to fill the hole: friends and family who really, truly cared about his wellbeing. But now, one of those most central was gone, and he didn't know how he would fill the gap now.

It wasn't like she was the first of the group to die- Uncle had long since passed, as had Mai and Sokka. And it certainly wasn't the first time he had been left behind or abandoned by those he loved- like his mother and father. But this was different.

"_Hey, Fire Lady, don't go soft without me here. Don't do anything stupid."_

"_You mean, don't do anything you would do?"_

"_Yeah, something like that." She twisted her features painfully into a smile; the illness was really taking its toll. She reached for my face. "Just… I worry about you sometimes."_

_He placed his hand over hers. "Aren't we a little old for that?"_

"_I'm never too old to care about you. Stupid." her voice drifted softly away._

_He started crying, because he could feel her failing, and he knew that even as she was dying, she was worrying about how he'd do without her._

He was going to start crying again, and he could feel it, because even though they had spent all those years together, he still wanted more and he wanted to be with her, selfish as it was to the poor kids. _ But don't worry,_ he thought,_ I won't do anything stupid, like you would._

He smiled.

**A/N: **Yeah, sorry about killing off Sokka. I used eenie miney moe and he lost. And if anyone has an idea for a drabble they'd like to see, I'd love to hear it. I have about 50 thought up but only 10 written. And another apology for publishing this story when I have unfinished stories. This just grabbed a hold of me and won't let go.


	2. Born Lucky Year 3739

**A/N: **This is from Zuko's quote at the North Pole- "My father always said [Azula] was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born." So this is how I picked the year- 3, 7, and 9 are all "lucky numbers" (supposedly). So I decided that Azula would be born in 3739: a year made completely of lucky numbers. And sorry for not updating, but I haven't had any internet. So multiple updates!

Born Lucky- Year 3739 Toph- N/A Zuko- 1 Rated- K+

The Fire Sages whispered about it in hushed tones to Prince Ozai.

"A child born in this year- one of the luckiest years, will be special."

"Why, exactly, is this a special year?" The Prince asked, skeptical.

"It is made up of the lucky numbers, 3, 7, and 9! A child born in this year will be blessed with special luck and talent."

"Is that so?" The Prince's thoughts drifted to his oldest child. The thing was weak, susceptible to infant colds and coughing that kept its mother up nights with worry. He was indifferent. If it died, it died, and he would have another, stronger child. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

His wife was already pregnant again, and expected to deliver in that special, lucky year. The Fire Sages assured him of the truth of their prediction, and he sent them away.

This second child, he mused, this one he would watch. He would watch both of them carefully, judging them for their worthiness to be his heir. He suspected that this sickly infant would grow up to be like its uncle, his brother, Iroh. In Ozai's eyes, a bad thing. With that, he guessed that the younger one, the lucky one, would grow up to be cunning and strong like him.

It really made no difference to him which one would win, all he cared about was having a strong successor who could dominate the world and continue to show off the power of the Fire Nation. (If anything happened to Iroh, spirits forbid) And he did not see that power in the sad little runt that was the oldest child. With this other child, he felt fire when he placed his hand on his wife's belly.

He heard the strength in the wail coming from the nursery and grinned inwardly with some disturbing sense of parental pride.

"You" he whispered to a newborn, "you will be special. You will be strong. No one will be able to stop you. No one will abandon you."

**A/N:** Of course, we know that's false, because Azula gets her butt kicked in the finale and also because Sokka was born in that year. God knows he's not lucky or supremely talented. haha


	3. Parties Year 3804

**A/N:** I feel like they would both hate parties, hence this drabble.

Parties- Year 3804 Toph- 62 Zuko- 66 Rated- K+

Toph grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. The maids around her continued to fuss and poke at her with torture instruments they claimed were to make her presentable. While the 50th anniversary of the end of the war was spectacular, she didn't want to celebrate like this.

She felt Zuko amble into the room. She could tell by the way he was walking that he wasn't wearing the stiff, ornamental clothes he usually had to wear for these ceremonies. He sent the maids away and she frowned at him.

"How come you don't have to get all dressed up for this stupid party?"

"You know I hate parties."

Toph turned her head. "Yeah, well I'm not exactly a huge fan of these fancy shindigs either, but apparently I still have to go."

"Actually, you don't." He answered simply.

"What do you mean?" She was suspicious.

"Well, I was talking to the others, and we decided we'd rather do something fun on the 50th anniversary of the war. So we're not going."

"Won't they miss us?"

Zuko shrugged. "There are plenty of official ceremonies. What's one ball? So, do you want to come?"

"Are you stupid?" Toph shot up from her seat. "Just let me change out of whatever it is they've put me in."

A short while later they were gathered in the forest outside of the capital city, sitting around a campfire, sharing stories and laughing.

"Katara, remember that time we freed that whole prison rig?"

"Yeah, well, that's nothing compared to the time that Zuko and I brought down that whole rebellion by ourselves."

"Sure, that was nice and all, but don't forget about-"

When they heard the music coming from the palace, they laughed and said how unfortunate those people were to be stuck at a party instead of out in the woods with their best friends.


	4. Acquaintances Year 3755

**A/N:** Sorry if strong language offends anyone, but I have a feeling that a year or two battling huge earthbenders in an underground arena would give anyone some salty vocabulary.

Acquaintances- Year 3755 Toph-13 Zuko- 17 Rated T for language

Zuko was very glad that Ozai and Azula were defeated, but part of him missed the freedom of roaming the world. _Who'dve thought I'd get nostalgic for being banished?_ He mused. Being Fire Lord was certainly no piece of dumpling cake, not that he had expected it to be. It was just… really lonely.

At least when he was chasing Aang he had had Uncle to keep him company. But Uncle was running his world famous tea shop in Ba Sing Se. He couldn't begrudge him for being happy, no; Uncle deserved it after all he had done for Zuko.

Mai was around, of course, but he didn't get to see her that often with the meetings, paperwork, and grievances from various angry nations. When he did see her, she was caring, in her own detached way. He liked being around her, but the good mood never lasted the whole day.

He didn't see much of the others. They were busy skipping around the world, quelling rebellions and talking disgruntled parties out of revenge. Zuko was grateful for that; he hardly had the personality for diplomacy.

All he could think of was the how he was so left behind, a forgotten Fire Lord, as if there were anything more ridiculous. His mother, his cousin Lu-Ten, the others: all had left him behind, in one way or another. But still he couldn't blame them. He couldn't blame them for wanting to be happy. He couldn't acknowledge that selfish part of him that begged to know if it would _kill them_ to stop by or send a messenger hawk to see how he was doing.

That's why he was so shocked when Toph (of all people) strode in one morning during a meeting. He was attempting to massage out the beginnings of headache when he heard the doors open and a few delegates begin to protest.

"Hey, I'm a representative of the Earth Kingdom and a friend of the Avatar, so I'd like you to shut up."

Zuko jolted his head up to see the feisty earthbender swagger her way to the chair next to him and plop down like she owned the whole place.

"Fire Lord Zuko, aren't you going to do something about this?" One of the faceless delegates demanded indignantly.

"Hardly. Miss Bei Fong happens to be an acquaintance of mine and a logical, straight-shooting thinker. She is welcome here whenever she wants." To be honest, he really didn't know Toph all that well, but he was completely desperate for a friendly face, anyone. "I am so glad you're here." He whispered to her.

"Great. Just no more of that 'Miss Bei Fong' shit or all I'll kick your ass all the way to the North Pole, Fire Lady."

He chuckled to himself, surprised at how much he'd missed the carefree conversations with his acquaintances.

Or rather, his friends.


	5. Sickness Year 3807

**A/N:** These older ones are really hard because I'm trying to figure out how they would have matured and how they would talk as compared to now. So if anyone has any hints, that'd be great.

Sickness- Year 3807 Toph- 65 Zuko- 69 Rated- T for slight language

Toph clenched his wrist like she was afraid to let go. "If you die, I'm going to kill you." She growled.

He chuckled. "Somehow, I don't think that would work."

"Well, fine! Just… you know I hate it when you're sick." She turned away, crossing her arms under her chest.

"I know." Zuko smiled softly. "But it's just a cold. I'll be fine."

"Damnit! I hate this! Just get better already!" She slammed a fist against the stone wall.

"I think you still haven't developed any sense of patience."

Toph sighed. "Well, it's not so much impatience… it's… well, I just hate seeing you like this, because you should be up walking around the palace like you always do, and I miss being around you even when we can't talk. And I hate going to dinner with one less place set. I hate sitting through those long meetings without being able to annoy you and I hate going to sleep knowing you're not there!" She was yelling now, her fist clenched.

He paused, waiting for her to finish.

"I guess… I guess… I just hate the thought of not having you around. I- don't know how I'd make it." Zuko looked at her quickly, and she was blushing like she was a young girl.

"Toph?" He said, and she moved over to him. He reached for her hand and held it as tightly as he could. "I love you, too."

She squeezed his hand and rushed from the room, because she still couldn't stand to let people see her cry.


	6. Colors Year 3794

**A/N:** This one's really poetic. I have a feeling that Zuko might be a bit of a romantic/sentimentalist at heart.

Colors-Year 3794 Toph- 52 Zuko- 56 Rated K+

"Zuko, what's color?" She asked him one day, out of the blue.

"Color- well, color is…" He trailed off, unable to think of an explanation without the word _color_ in it. "It's… the way things look, and part of what makes them different to the eyes…. Maybe?"

"Look, never mind that. Just, can you describe red for me? Like, with the other senses."

"Red… red tastes like fire flakes. And spicy food. But… it also tastes like a warm bowl of soup when you're freezing cold. Red feels like the heat from the campfire and the feeling after a tough workout. Red smells like… a good meal after a long day. And it sounds like the crackling of burning wood."

"Wow. You're really good at that." He could tell by the sound of Toph's voice that she was actually impressed. "But don't let it go to your head. So… what words would you use to describe red? What things are red?"

Zuko sighed, thinking. "Red is… anger, hatred. But it can also be passion, intensity, determination, and perseverance. Things that are red, let's see… the Fire Nation is red. The sky when the sun sets is red. Blood is red. Fire is partially red. My…" he took a deep breath. "my scar is red."

She said nothing, but nodded and squeezed his hand. He was glad. After all these years, he didn't need redemptive lies and reassurances.

Finally she spoke. "Do you mind if I ask you about other colors?"

He was taken a little aback by her question. Rarely did she ever ask permission for anything. "No, not at all. I can see that I must be great at description."

Toph snorted, punching him in the arm. "Yeah, more an egghead with a useless vocabulary." When Zuko was younger, he would've been offended by that, but he could tell now that she was just teasing. "So, what's gold like?"

"Gold? Gold feels like this thing in my hair-" She laughed, making him smile "and summer days when it's that perfect middle between warm and unbearably hot. Gold tastes like caramel sauce. It smells like the palace when we've been away for awhile and we come back. Gold sounds like when Uncle played the sungi horn."

"Gold is honor, respect, but it can be arrogance and pride. In the right person it can be warm but in others it is cold and unfeeling."

_Katara and Aang had been right_. Toph thought. _Red and gold were his colors, as she understood them._ "Brown and green?" She spoke up, wondering about the colors they had picked to describe her.

"Green tastes like fresh vegetables straight from the garden. Green feels like the early morning sun when you're in a field. Green smells like Uncle's tea. It sounds like children laughing and the wind in the trees. Green is full of life and vitality, green is fresh, new, and different every time you see it. But it has a tendency to disappear. "

"Brown feels like the earth. It tastes like that thick wheat bread you like so much. It smells like the trees and smoke from the fire. Brown sounds like a low drumbeat. It's tough, stable, and unbreakable, but stubborn and hardheaded." He finished.

"Thanks, Zuko." She simply said. _I think they did a good job with those colors._

"You know," Aang had remarked to Katara after Toph left them, "the more time they are together, the more he picks up brown and green and she picks up red and gold."

Katara had nodded and smiled. "They love each other." She had said simply.


	7. Blind Bandit Year 3753

**A/N: **This is how I see Toph at the Earth Rumble Six. Italics means thinking. Thanks for the reviews! They make me so happy and I'm glad that people like the series! I'm working really hard on developing the characters as they age. It's really easy to write for the characters around the age that they are in the TV show, but it's hard to see how they'll grow up.

Blind Bandit- Year 3753 Toph- 11 Zuko- 15

Toph had snuck away again. She was just running for the fun of running when a vibration under the earth stopped her. She paused, and realized that she felt a huge underground complex beneath her. If she was sensing it correctly, the entrance was just to the left of her. She walked over, curious.

"Hey, little lady, you want to go to Earth Rumble Six? The greatest earthbenders in the world come here to battle. Only 10 copper pieces."

She dug around in her pockets, hoping desperately that she had some change. "I only have nine." She said, trying to make her voice sound as pitiful as possible.

"Well, I suppose I could let a nice girl like you in for only nine." He answered, his voice syrupy. As she walked inside, she heard him say to the man next to him, "Can you believe I just swindled that little blind chick out of nine copper pieces? She won't be able to see anything anyway." She smirked.

The arena opened up to her when she entered. It was big, with a raised platform in the middle and seats all around. She took a seat, leaned back, and took in the vibrations.

Two men were battling in the center. She could tell that one was very large, but without much brain power. _The big ones are usually like that._ She thought. The other was smaller, but more skilled. The larger one's heartbeat was very elevated. She guessed that he wasn't used to someone really challenging him, and therefore didn't work out as much as the smaller one probably did. While the smaller one's heartbeat was up, it still seemed calmer and not out of control.

The earthbending was amazing. The only earthbending she had experienced was the lame stuff from Master Yu and what she had learned from the Badgermoles. It was cool to feel how she could use her moves to fight.

The large one was starting to wear down even more. "Come on, final strike, before you wear yourself out." Toph muttered under her breath to the smaller man. As if he was listening to her, a large rock punched out of the surface of the arena, causing the large man to fly off the stage and smack into the stands.

The crowd roared, and Toph joined in. "This is great!" She exclaimed.

When she finally got home that night, she resolved to try out some of the moves she had felt the benders at the Earth Rumble Six use. She practiced in the cave with the Badgermoles, and even came up with some moves of her own. She went to the next Rumble and "watched", absorbing everything she could.

Now, she decided, she wanted to enter. She ambled up to the ringleader during one of the early fights. "Hey, how do you get to fight in the arena?" she asked.

He looked at her and laughed. "Well, first of all, you have to be an earthbender."

"I'm an earthbender."

"And you have to be tough. You can't expect me to believe that some little blind chick is going to go up there and kick the asses of those full-grown men." He scoffed.

"Look, what do I have to do to prove myself?" She asked, exasperated.

"Fine then, get in the ring. But when they kick your ass all the way to Ba Sing Se, don't expect any help. And don't go crying to your mommy and daddy."

"You don't have to worry about that." She said.

"Kid, I am not about to put you in the ring!"

"Hey boss?" A man came up to them. "The Mole-Man just dropped out."

"What? He's supposed to be on in the next round? Where in hell am I going to find an earthbender to fight in the next five minutes?"

"Ah-hem?" Toph grinned.

The boss sighed. "Fuck. What choice do I have? What's your name, kid?"

"My name?" She paused for a moment. "My name is… The Blind Bandit."


	8. Emoting Year 3817

**A/N: **I was getting kinda stuck on things to write about, so I picked up my good old Merriam-Webster Garfield Mini Dictionary and picked out a random word. I got "emote" which means to express emotion. So here goes.

Emoting- Year 3817 Toph- 75 Zuko- 79

Toph was never one who had a hard time expressing her emotions- anger, happiness, pride- they all came to the surface as soon as she felt them. Expressing love was hard for her when she was younger, but as she aged she realized love was not weakness, and showing it became easier and easier.

Fear was still an emotion that she didn't easily express. However, that was partially due to the fact that she was rarely afraid. When she was, she hated to show it.

Zuko could be reserved at time, and he was definitely more polite than she was. She barely had a filter. Years of being Fire Lord and staying calm in trying diplomatic situations had made his filter from brain to mouth very good. Secretly, she admired the ability to stop and think about what one was saying before one just blurted it out.

Not that she would ever tell him that, though.

So, it became one of her favorite pastimes to crack that filter, to make him show the emotions he hid so well at those meetings. The game had to be played carefully- just enough to bother Zuko but not so much as to anger the diplomats.

That just made it more exciting.

Of course, the delegate from the Southern Water Tribe was one of the many, many offspring of Aang and Katara. Honestly, she had lost track of all of them, but the parents had informed Toph that this particular girl had a strange sense of humor. Toph grinned. She'd be perfect.

"Well, since we've been discussing the ways to bring the nations together, I happen to have an idea." It was the Water Tribe girl, in her bright, innocent voice. "I think we should do a large festival, with examples of bending and culture from all the nations."

The others around the table nodded and mumbled in agreement.

"We could have it in different large cities, and move it around. And I think, my favorite part of the plan, is to have the leaders of our nations participate. We should have them truly experience and reverence the other cultures."

It really was a beautiful idea. But Toph had come up with the plan, and she would follow it through. "That's a great idea. I, personally, would be willing to dress or follow in the traditions of the Water Tribe for the festival. And I'm sure that Fire Lord Zuko would be willing to participate."

The fact that she said "Fire Lord Zuko" instead of one of her famous nicknames, did make him a little suspicious.

Toph continued. "Maybe he could do something from the Earth Kingdom? It would have to be something distinctive, something that any person could recognize and say, 'Hey, that's an Earth Kingdom tradition.' Ah! I've got it! He can follow the customs of the Kyoshi Warriors!"

She felt his figure droop a little in the chair and his heartbeat start a little faster. She guessed that his mouth probably dropped, too. She heard slight titters from around the room.

Zuko cleared his throat. "I would love to participate in this festival- but don't you think that's a little, well, extreme?"

"Oh, no, I think it would be wonderful!" The Water Tribe girl said earnestly. "The brave Fire Lord dressed as one of the powerful Kyoshi Warriors, it would be magnificent!"

"Magnificent? I really don't think-"

"Come on, Sokka did it once." Toph interjected.

"Yeah, but he was 15. I'm, well, let's not go there." Zuko chuckled, and she could tell it was that slick diplomat laugh of his. She gritted her teeth. He was not going to win this one.

"Great! I'll send a message to Suki right now." Toph stood up and was halfway out the door when she was stopped by one very angry Fire Lord.

"You will do no such thing!"

The whole room went silent, afraid that Zuko was really angry and there was going to be a sudden and very public domestic dispute.

Their fears were calmed, however, when Toph burst out laughing, followed by the girl. Eventually the whole was laughing, eventually including Zuko.

"You know you never win those things." She murmured.

"Yeah, but you weren't really serious about the Kyoshi Warrior idea, were you?" He asked, slightly nervous.

Toph grinned. "Maybe, maybe not."

"Well, you'll have to earthbend me into that outfit and makeup."

"That can be arranged."

They laughed it off on the way to lunch.


	9. New Girlfriend Year 3761

**A/N:** Early relationship. I got the idea from the first stanza of "Tire Swing" by Kimya Dawson. Italics are thinking.

New Girlfriend- Year 3761 Toph- 19 Zuko- 23 Rated- K+

Toph was sitting on the floor of the house while Katara and Suki chattered away. They hadn't seen each other in a while, and they were catching up on gossip. Everyone was together for Sokka and Suki's wedding. Toph listened half-heartedly to the conversation, keeping her ears open for one particular name.

"Is Zuko coming?" Katara asked.

"Yeah, he should be here soon." Suki replied. "I hear he's bringing his new girlfriend."

Katara gasped. "Really? Who is it?"

"No one we know. Some Fire Nation noble." Suki shrugged.

Toph sighed. _A perfect little princess. Someone much better suited to him than I am. _

"What's the matter?" Ever-perceptive Katara asked Toph.

"Nothing." She turned and hugged her knees to her chest. _Damnit! _She had left him. It wasn't like she could really begrudge him for moving on. It pissed her off though, because he had moved on, and she hadn't. It couldn't have worked. She needed her freedom to roam, and he had to stay at the palace.

"We should be getting ready for the party!" Suki exclaimed suddenly. "It's getting late!"

"Toph, you can go if you want to." Katara said, knowing how much the earthbender hated getting dressed up.

Toph paused. _I bet that new girlfriend likes getting all dressed up. And I bet she looks really beautiful. Well, I can probably do that too! I've got the society upbringing, after all._

"Toph?"

"Huh? Oh… well, if you guys want to, you can dress me up. Y'know, since it's your wedding and all…"

The other girls grinned.

"How do I look?" Toph asked Katara on their way into the party.

"You look great. You really do." The earth floors allowed Toph to sense that Katara wasn't lying, giving her a much needed confidence boost. "Oh- there's Zuko and his new girlfriend! Come on, let's go talk to them!"

_Damnit Katara, that compliment didn't make me feel _that _good._ Toph thought.

"Hey Zuko!" Katara chirped. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh- this is my girlfriend, Lei. Lei, this is Toph and Katara." Zuko said. Toph just stood there wishing she was anywhere but here at this moment. She was almost glad she couldn't see, because she was pretty sure it would have just made her feel bad about herself.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you!" Lei's voice tinkled in her ear. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you and your adventures with the Avatar!"

_Damn. She's the picture of politeness._ Toph grumbled inwardly. Well, she could be polite if she had too. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Yes, it's so great!" Katara exclaimed.

"You're a master waterbender, aren't you?" Lei asked.

Toph felt Katara blush. "Oh, well, I wouldn't say 'master', but-"

"No, from what I've heard, you seem truly gifted!" Lei insisted.

While they talked, Toph could feel Zuko's eyes on her._ What, do I really look that ugly?_ She clenched her fists. She couldn't stay here anymore, she felt like she was suffocating. "Excuse me for a moment." She said, gritting her teeth through the polite phrase. She hurried out of the crowded hall and into the night air. Sitting on a bench, she breathed in the night air. _It's okay._

She felt footsteps approaching. It was Zuko. He sat down next to her. "Are you- mad at me?"

"No." Toph answered, not looking at him.

"Is this about Lei?"

"No. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He paused. "Because you don't seem like yourself. You're walking in here like the model of polite society, and I know that's not you. So I wanted to know why you aren't acting like yourself."

Toph crossed her arms. "Maybe I just decided to grow up. And why do you care, anyway?"

"I care because I like you better the way you are. I've always liked you for who you are." With that, he walked away, back to Lei and back to the party.

That night Toph cried silently because she ran away from one of the few people who cared about her like that. And Zuko tossed and turned, worrying about a girl who seemed to slipping away and letting go of her happiness.


	10. The Courtier Year 3793

**A/N: **I was drifting off to sleep at midnight when I realized- _Shit! I didn't publish a Toko today!_ Of course, it is no longer "today" but at least I caught myself. Another cute moment courtesy of my Garfield dictionary- this time it's courtier- a person in attendance at a royal court. Oh- and part of this is based off the game "Sardines". If you haven't heard of it, it's like hide-and-seek, except one person hides and everyone tried to find them. And when they find them, they all have to hide in the same spot until the last person finds them. Since canned food doesn't seem to exist in Avatar, I'm renaming it "Cabbages" for all the cabbages stacked together on one tiny cart. I could probably come up with something better but I'm tired.

The Courtier- Year 3793 Toph- 51 Zuko- 55 Rated- K

Whenever they played Cabbages, Grandma Toph was _not_ allowed to be a seeker. No one could hide from her way of seeing, unless they were floating in midair. And since none of them could fly, she hid.

Toph dashed into the throne room. "Shh." She whispered to the courtier inside, as she ducked behind a heavy drape.

For his part, the courtier was baffled. Why was she hiding in the throne room? Was there some attack going on that he didn't know about? No, that had to impossible; Lady Toph would never hide from a battle.

At that moment, one of the children burst in. "Have you seen Grandma?" He demanded.

The man felt the stone floor poking him in the back of leg. "N-no." he stuttered, hoping he wasn't about to get earthbended into the ground.

"Hmm." The child twisted up his features. "I'm going to look around anyway." He ran around the room, running his hand along the drapes.

"Um… I really don't think you should-" The guard began, but it was too late.

"Hey- there's someone back here! Grandma! You need a guard that's a better liar." The kid whispered.

The man stiffened. He could be a great liar when he wanted to. After all, hadn't he blamed the bad tea on his sister when it was really him who had put salt in instead of sugar?

"Didn't Kousei just go this way?" he heard a voice in the corridor ask.

"Yeah, but I haven't seen him. They must be in there!"

The door flew open again. "Tell us where they are!" Two bright faces demanded him.

"Uh…" He glanced over quickly at the drape and saw both Lady Toph and the boy glaring at him. "I-I don't know who you're talking about."

"You do so!" The girl shouted indignantly.

"He's not going to tell us, come on, let's search." The boy with her said.

It didn't take long for the kids to find them behind the drape. _Finally._ The guard sighed. There couldn't be too many more of them.

But, the next one in the door wasn't a child. It was the Fire Lord. The guard gulped.

"Where are they?" He asked harshly.

"Wh-who?" The courtier responded shakily.

"The children!" The Fire Lord insisted. "You let children play in the throne room! And I'll find them."

_My career is over. _The courtier thought despondently._ How am I going to tell my wife that I'm unemployed?_

"Found you."

He gulped again. They were in for it. He waited, but instead of yelling he heard squeals of laughter.

"You were last, Grandpa! You found us last!"

"Yeah, yeah I know I'm bad at this game."

Lady Toph laughed. "You are so bad at this game-"

"Well, you might be too, if you didn't cheat!"

"Cheat! You're just jealous that I'd beat you even if I saw normally."

As they left the throne room, the courtier let out a deep sigh. He was NOT getting paid enough for this.

**A/N: **As if I haven't said enough already this chapter- I'm 10% done! Haha. Only 90 more!


	11. Fragile Year 3742

**A/N: **The family is the Bei Fongs, and the daughter is Toph. Just to get rid of any doubt. This one's super-short. And thanks for all of the reviews! *squee*

Fragile- Year 3742 Toph-0 Zuko- 4 Rated- K

When babies are born, it's supposed to be a happy occasion. A new life, welcomed to the world. The scene has played out in thousands of households all over the world, but this one was different. The midwives let out a little gasp, prompting a now-distraught mother to ask, "What's wrong? What's wrong with my baby?" She closed her eyes, waiting tensely for the answer.

"She-she's not crying. Your daughter… she's not making a sound at all." The head midwife answered in hushed tones. "And her eyes- they seem distant."

"Will she- will she be okay?" The mother's voice was trembling as she looked at the quiet little baby in the midwife's arms.

The midwife looked down. "I hope so." The mother buried her face in her hands, barely muffling her sobs.

The fragile infant barely seemed to cling to life for the first few days. The family and servants spoke only in whispers, as if afraid that a loud noise would shatter the faint grasp on life. The father swore that if his daughter lived, he would always protect her. The mother just didn't want to lose her beautiful daughter.

She had lived, the weak baby, and had grown stronger and stronger. But she was still blind, and her parents could never forget the harrowing weeks of her near death. They would never allow her to be endangered like that again. They could not lose her.

The daughter never really understood.


	12. Special Year 3763

**A/N: **This drabble is inspired by the song "The Only Exception" by Paramore. I can see Toph feeling the same way as the singer. Sorry this one's so short and that I didn't publish yesterday. I got my wisdom teeth taken out and the drugs are making me woozy…

Special- Year 3763 Toph- 21 Zuko- 25 Rated K+

What had ever made Zuko so special? What had made him different from the others, different enough to still be here, after everything?

Why had she agreed to stay in the beginning?

Why didn't her behavior freak him out?

Why did he care about her, with all of the high-society girls throwing themselves at him?

Toph had never really believed in love. She believed in the love between friends, obviously, but as for "true love" she never thought it existed. She'd always kept guys at a distance, believing that being with someone else like made her weak. Toph hated feeling vulnerable, exposed. So instead, she decided that she'd rather be lonely than trusting.

She had never meant to fall for anyone, especially not for Zuko. But as hard as she tried, she couldn't stay away from him. And Toph was starting to wonder, why did she have to keep herself at a distance? Why couldn't she just let herself be happy, for once? Would it really be so bad to just let someone in for once?

"Uncle, I don't understand why she keeps acting like this. I'd never do anything to hurt her."

"Well, it seems like Toph is like a wounded animal in the forest. It does not realize that you mean it no harm, and you have to be patient and convince it to trust you before you can get close."

Zuko thought about this. "We're already friends. So doesn't she already trust me?"

"There is a very big difference between trusting someone as a friend and trusting them as a significant other. You can hold things back from a friend. You don't have to give your whole heart to a friend."

She just needed to let him know that she was _finally_ catching on, and learning, and realizing that maybe there was something to believe in. And that he was special. He was worth the risk.


	13. Diplomacy Year 3787

**A/N: **Just a cute moment. Oh- and thanks so much for all of the reviews! I love the feedback!

Diplomacy- Year 3787 Toph- 48 Zuko- 52 Rated- K+

The Fire Lord was meeting with the Chief of the Water Tribe, and he had brought along his wife and had insisted on holding the meeting on stone floors (instead of Water Tribe ice floors) so she could see.

The leaders of the Water Tribe grumbled. "What right does he have to demand things from us, seeing all that the Fire Nation has put our people through?"

The councilmen of the Fire Nation whispered. "It is so unorthodox. No other Fire Lord took his wife with him on diplomatic missions! What does he think this is, a family vacation?"

But as much as both sides predicted diplomacy failures and treaties riddled with half-truths, the Fire Lord always seemed to return with fair agreements in place. No one could quite explain why.

The Fire Lord knew why. It started when the Chief announced, "We are honored to have the Fire Lord here with us this evening."

His wife tugged on his sleeve. "He's lying."

He grinned. There was a special reason she came with him on every diplomatic mission. It was not for the vacation, although she did like to get away from the palace. It was also not to annoy the other nation with special requests.

It was to keep everyone honest.

"This is why I married you." He whispered.

"Bullshit. You know that's not why." She replied, a smirk on her face.

He laughed, drawing the attention of the whole room. He felt his face flush in embarrassment. "Um… excuse me. I'm very sorry, please continue."

"Lie…" She mumbled, and he bit his lip to keep from laughing.


	14. Parents Year 3774

**A/N:** Sorry I didn't update yesterday- this wisdom teeth thing really wiped me out. I've got school coming up, and I'm super busy this fall, so the updates might start to get a little less frequent. I apologize.

Parents- Year 3774 Toph- 32 Zuko- 36 Rated K+

"I wish I could have understood, when you were younger. Your father and I, we always loved you. We were just… too stubborn and stupid to realize that you had changed." Poppy Bei Fong laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Toph smiled. "I can be pretty stubborn too. But, I'm not as angry as I used to be. I think I can begin to understand, myself. Not wanting to let go of the past, or not wanting someone to change. Hold on-" She paused for a moment. "Lian, how many times do I have to tell you that you can't run around outside naked! Go get some clothes!"

Poppy put a delicate hand over her mouth and laughed quietly.

"Ugh." Toph shook her head. "Sometimes, that girl- anyway, I think I'm beginning to understand. I mean, I don't know what I'm going to do when these kids grow up! It's ridiculous, I still feel like they're all babies."

"It's hard to accept that your babies grow up." Poppy smiled softly. Toph felt the spring breeze and the soft ground beneath her feet and sighed. Some days, she felt so lucky.

A sudden crash echoed in the house, startling them both. "Excuse me one minute." Toph said in her sweetest tone. The door to the house slammed, and was quickly followed by yelling. "What is going on in here? I swear- Just take them somewhere, okay? I'm trying to have a heart-to-heart with my mother!"

"Okay, have a nice chat!"

Toph stomped back outside. "Sorry about that."

"He seems unfazed by your yelling." Poppy said, a giggle in her voice.

"Yeah, well, I do yell a lot…" Toph mused. "It's how I show affection."

Poppy enveloped her daughter in a hug. "This is how I show affection. I love you, Toph. And I want to thank you for giving me a second chance at being part of your life, even though I don't deserve it."

"I love you, too, Mom."

**A/N:** Okay, just for reference, the kids are (in order of age)-

Tora (girl), Lian (girl), and Shen (boy)

More information will be revealed later, so stay tuned! haha


	15. Affection Year 3829

**A/N:** This one's just fluffy. I have ones with more substance planned, but I haven't written them yet. In the meantime, enjoy. And thanks for all of the reviews! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Affection- Year 3829 Toph- 87 Zuko- 91 Rated K+

"I'm way too old for this sort of traveling. Whose idea was this, anyway?" Toph complained.

"It was your idea." Zuko responded, shaking his head.

"And a good one, but whose idea was it to go to the South Pole?"

"Well, we haven't seen those… kids in a long time, and they keep writing for a visit, and we were traveling anyway, and Katara and Aang wanted us to see how much the city's grown."

"See?" she asked incredulously. "See how much they've built it up? Have they forgotten how useless I am on ice?"

It amused him how he had actually managed to find someone with a quicker temper than his.

"And I don't even remember the kids' names! I mean, there's so goddamn many of them now! It's so cold I can't stand it, and how are you supposed to lead me around as old and feeble as you are-"

"Now wait a minute," Zuko protested. "I'm not old and feeble! And anyway, I already came up with a system for getting you around."

"What?" she asked, suspicious.

"A chair, like Teo used to have!"

"What the-"

He cut off her protests. "We're here!" Two of the crewmen came up on deck and wrestled her into a wheelchair, pushing her down the ramp before she had time to attempt an escape.

"Zu…ko…" She growled.

"Are you secretly a firebender? Cause I could've sworn I just saw smoke coming out your nose."

"If we were on solid ground, I'd kick your ass so hard… well; you're so feeble I could probably just knock you over."

"You could not. I am not feeble."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

All the villagers who had gathered to welcome the former Fire Lord and Lady were shocked to see the aforementioned lady turn around and punch him squarely in the face.

Zuko landed in a snow bank. Sitting up, he shook the snow from his head and grinned. She never ceased to amaze him. "Hey, you!" He yelled into the crowd, pointing to a strong young descendant of Aang's whose name completely escaped him, "Wheel her around, will you?"

"Hey, Zuko, wait a second, who is this kid? Don't make me punch you, too."

Zuko stood and followed them, hearing the boy say, "Please don't punch me."

"What was that all about?" One of the youngest Water Tribe children asked. "Oh, nothing." Her mother replied. "That's our Aunt Toph and Uncle Zuko, they always act like that. That's how they say they love each other, by teasing."

"But Aunt Toph punched him…"

"Yes, well," the mother smiled. "that's her personal brand of affection."


	16. Rainstorm Year 3760

**A/N: **I AM SO SORRY! I didn't mean to leave you guys update-less for so long. Now that summer's over, I have actual responsibilities… they're finally catching up to me…

Rainstorm- Year 3760 Toph- 18 Zuko- 22 Rated K+

It had been grey and cloudy all day, the air thick and heavy, the wind blowing ominously. There was a big rainstorm coming. Zuko didn't mind. It had been dry lately, and they could use the rain.

Mid-afternoon it finally started. The sky just poured rain, like it had been trying to hold it back but couldn't any longer. Of course, he was outside when it started. He was soaked by the time he got to the overhang on the outside of the building. He had always thought the overhang was stupid and too ornamental. Surprisingly, it served a purpose.

Toph was already sitting under it, a frown on her face. "Hey." Zuko said, shaking some of the water out of the heavy robe sleeve.

She coughed slightly. "Whoa, sorry, you surprised me."

"Surprised you?" He wondered. It was nearly impossible to sneak up on Toph. Even if you were in the air, she could probably hear you.

"Yeah." Toph paused. "The rain… coming down so hard like this… it makes so many vibrations that I have to focus really hard to pick out the important ones."

He noticed now that she was clutching at the ground. She looked small, and not intimidating like she usually did. It was weird, because when Zuko thought about her, he didn't think "blind". It was easy to forget that she had any disability at all, because she never acted like she had one.

Lightning raced across the sky and thunder cracked loudly, making Zuko shiver. Toph, though, jumped. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Toph pressed her hands harder into the dirt. "Hey, it's easier for you seeing people. You get advance warning when it's gonna be loud like that. I don't, okay?"

"It's not a bad thing to be afraid of thunder." Zuko offered, sitting down next to her.

"I'm NOT afraid of thunder!" She yelled, partially because of the loud rain and partially because of anger. "I'm not afraid of anything!"

"I used to be afraid of thunder, when I was little."

"Yeah, exactly, used to be. It's not something you're afraid of when you're older, or when you're the greatest earthbender in the world."

"Hmm…" Zuko paused for a moment, wishing he had a gift for advice like his Uncle. "Well, I guess you could try-"

"I don't need your help!" She interrupted. "I can take care of myself!"

He sighed and rested his head in his hands. _I really am bad at this advice stuff. _ "I'm sorry."

Toph took a deep breath. "No, it's okay. I just… my parents always said I was so weak and helpless, and it's the last thing I want to be. So I say I don't have any, because if I did, then I'd be proving them right."

"To be honest, I've never thought of you as weak. I think that when you open yourself up, when you're able to admit your faults and accept them, then you're the strongest. It's something I've always tried to work on. Azula was always stronger and better than I was, and so I had to hide my weakness, too. Always trying to be so strong- it's lonely."

"Yeah." Toph wiped at her eyes. "It is."

Neither of them said anything for awhile. Zuko watched the rain and thought about all the layers to Toph that he hadn't realized were there. Toph was extremely relieved that she could admit her weakness and not be laughed at or shut away, but be accepted.

"I think it's letting up." Toph said. The vibrations were getting fewer and fewer.

"Ah, you're right." Zuko stood up and stretched as the rain trailed off. "Toph, you know, you can talk to me… if you ever need to." He said awkwardly. He wanted her to know that she could talk to him and he would do his best to listen, and she didn't need to worry about bothering him. Of course, that didn't really seem like something that would concern her.

"Yeah, I know. And… I know I'm not that great of a listener, but I could always use the practice, if you ever want to."

He smiled. "Okay, sounds good."

"And thanks." Toph smiled and blushed a little. "Fire Lady." She added and whacked him the arm.

"Ow! I think you're hitting harder than you used to." Zuko rubbed his arm.

She laughed. "I think you have baby skin."

**A/N: **So basically, I couldn't think of a good way to write up their first date, so I'm setting it the day after this, and Zuko's trying to ask her out or whatever, but then he's awkward and screws it up so Toph ends up asking him… haha. Hope you guys liked it!


	17. Incarceration Year 3771

**A/N: **I did a Toph-parent story, so this is a Zuko-parent one. Two in one day! This is to make up for that horrendous length of time with no update…

Incarceration- Year 3771 Toph- 29 Zuko- 33 Rated- K+

Years ago, it would have taken all of Zuko's strength to get him up today. He probably wouldn't have slept at all, he wouldn't have been able to eat, and it would have been all that was on his mind for the past week. Now he was used to it.

Visiting his father.

He still dreaded it, but it had gotten easier to handle as he had gotten older. In Zuko's memories, he was always as tall as a mountain, strong and intimidating, wearing rich robes and an imperious frown. The frown was the only similarity. The man in the prison cell was not large, but rather small. He was not intimidating or strong. Zuko no longer needed to worry about meeting the man from his memories. That man was gone. He would never be coming back.

"So, how's life these days?" The man asked, his tone sarcastic. "How are the grandkids?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "They're not your grandchildren. They're Uncle's grandchildren. I may be related to you by birth, but you're not my father. Fathers care about their children. You never did. You didn't even care about Azula, and she was your 'favorite'."

"I will admit that you were smarter than Azula in that you could figure that out. She never did."

Zuko fought back the surge of pride in this man saying his was better than Azula. _It's all a lie._ He reminded himself. _The man's just trying to manipulate you, to get you to seek his favor again._ _What this man says about me does not matter. _Zuko wished it didn't have to be like this, that just once, only once, his father could say something that he liked about Zuko.

But this man was not his father.

And what the man said did not mean anything.

What mattered was his family. The one that loved him, not the one that abandoned him whenever they felt like it and never really cared. Zuko had a caring family now. And this man- this man did not.

So Zuko had enough strength to say: "I don't need to hear your false praise. You don't matter to me anymore. You don't scare me anymore. I don't need your approval. I don't need your acceptance." When he said it, he felt so very tired, his arms trembling.

But this man said only, "That's what you had to say today? At least make it worth my time."

"You're wrong. You're not worth my time." Zuko replied, slamming the cell door shut, leaving behind cold grip of his old life and his memories, and going back to the warmth of his family. His real family.


	18. Sports Year 3782

**A/N: **Again, another apology for my lack of updates! (Maybe I could stop apologizing if I actually updated on a regular basis, but we won't go there) I blame school for sapping my creativity and inspiration. SO- if you have a request for an idea you'd really like to see in this timeline, I'd love to hear it! I may not be able to fit it in, because I do have somewhat of a storyline, but who knows, it might inspire me to write anyway! 3

Sports- Year 3782 Toph- 40 Zuko- 44 Rated- T

Tora had always been an athletic girl, excelling in her training and in sports, but to be honest, she was just too polite for Redemption.

Yep, Aang's made-up story to fool the feuding tribes had spawned a running joke between the friends, which was later passed on to Toph and Zuko, who had decided to try and play it one day. It had soon been picked up by others and evolved into a sensation, with real rules and teams at every school. Toph really thought they had let the whole thing get out of hand.

Yet here she was, watching her daughter compete in a sport that had been an inside joke. Didn't matter, though, because she loved her kids, and she always wanted to see them kick ass (okay, fine, succeed) in whatever they did.

But Toph had clearly felt Tora's awesome sprint down the field get interrupted by some surreptitious earthbending. And the referee hadn't called it.

"Hey, ref, what's wrong with you? That was a foul! She got tripped by earthbending, which, if I recall correctly, is forbidden in the rules!" She shouted.

Zuko tugged on her sleeve. "Come on, don't make a scene, we don't want to get kicked out like last time." 

She sat down in a huff. "Well, it's not fair! That girl cheated and Tora has to pay for it! I mean, even I could tell it was a foul, and I'm blind."

"It's because you're blind that you could tell it was a foul." He reminded her.

"Yeah, well, whatever. He just better not do it again." Toph glared in the referee's general direction. "Come on, Tora, kick her hard! Remember what Aunt Ty Lee taught you!"

"Just let her have her fun. She doesn't need to take anyone out."

"That's the fun part, though!" Toph exclaimed, that familiar creepy grin on her face.

Zuko shifted in his seat. "Riiiight…"

She continued, "I mean, when I was Tora's age, I was beating up guys twice my size and not breaking a sweat!"

"But Tora's not you." Zuko interrupted.

Toph sighed. "You're right, she has her own interests, and fighting's just not one of them." She paused and turned her ear towards the field. "What's going on?"

The referee had stopped the game and Tora was sitting in the mud on the field. "This-this girl-" They heard Tora say to the referee, "has tripped me, twice now, and I believe that she harbors a dislike for me and intends to start an altercation!"

"Oh dear." Zuko sighed, placing his head in his hands.

"Oh yeah, well, what are you going to do about it, Fancypants?" The other girl sneered.

Tora clenched her hands into a fist. "I will show you." The referee sent them back to the starting line, and Tora took off with the ball, easily beating the other players. Now the girl who had tripped her was the only one left between her and the goal.

The girl charged at her, but Tora kept running straight at her. At the last second Tora took a flying leap, jumping over the other girl's head. The girl whipped her head around and so didn't notice the tiny bit of earth sticking up from the ground that had tripped someone earlier. This time, however, it was Tora who was grinning triumphantly at her goal and the other girl who was face down in the dirt.

"YEAH TORA! That's my girl!" Toph shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

"She does have some of your spunk under that polite layer, doesn't she?" Zuko commented, smiling.

"Yeah, she does." Toph thought that even though you can't choose your family, she wouldn't trade the one she had now for anything.


	19. Challenge Year 3827

**A/N: **Just an explanation (through Katara's eyes) of why Toko is so great. Haha **. **

Challenge- 3827 Toph- 85 Zuko- 89 Rated- K+

Katara would admit (privately) that when Toph and Zuko got together 64-ish years ago, she never believed it was going to last. She was shocked, and a little confused. When they told her, she had warned them to make sure it was real love and not a fluke. Part of her was wondering if either was even capable of real love.

Obviously, Katara was glad she hadn't put money on that.

Not that she would bet on something like that, anyway.

But the time and some form of wisdom had made her realize exactly why they had stayed together so long. Simply put, they made each other happy.

It seemed like that whenever Toph was around, Zuko wasn't allowed to indulge the moody, gloomy and angry side of his personality. It was just something about Toph that kept Zuko on his toes; that kept up the fire (no pun intended) in his spirit. Plus, if he ever got moody on Toph, she'd slap him out of it. Literally. Now, she'd probably just thowmp him on the head. She'd gotten soft with her age. But so had Zuko.

As for Toph, Katara thought that she had found a home, a family with Zuko. It was something Toph had never had with her parents, or with any of the other guys she had "been with" before Zuko. Toph actually trusted him, and had gotten close enough that she wasn't able to slip away like she had with others. And besides, he challenged Toph as much as she challenged him. He challenged her in her sparring, in her patience, and in her perception of herself.

And neither Toph nor Zuko was ever one to back down from a challenge.


End file.
